Physical Education

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A place where comrades can

(1) discuss how best to optimize their physical health and develop “Iron Proletarian Discipline” in a healthy and holistic manner. Including but not limited to weight training, stretching, cardiovascular exercise, meditation, nutrition, sleep, and daily routines with an eye towards cultivating the best habits possible,

(2) share motivational and educational writings or videos; bonus points if the perspective is that of a Communist thinker such as Mao or Fidel Castro, and

(3) discuss the relationship between mental health and exercise.

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Approach every conversation in good faith.

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Back Workout (lemmygrad.ml)

submitted 10 months ago by Detectorist@lemmygrad.ml to c/swoletariat@lemmygrad.ml

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Looking for guidance on a back workout routine. I rotate between three groups: legs, chest, back. Not super strict, just as often as I can get into the gym. I am at the point where I have started to add in more free weights and less machines. Found some good ones for legs and chest, but not as many for back. Plus the machines I use for back seem pretty good anyway. Also, some places online listed deadlift as a back workout but it seems like more of a leg workout to me.

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[–] ksynwa@lemmygrad.ml 4 points 10 months ago (4 children)

Deadlift works the posterior chain mostly---lower back, hamstrings and glutes. Deadlifts are the best exercise for lower back. Once your muscles develop you will notice the difference immediately in how easily you are able to maintain good posture while standing, sitting etc.

The caveat is that you have to make sure you get the form right when you do them. Otherwise (best case) you'll end up using the wrong muscles (like your legs) or (worst case) hurt your back. Maybe others here can help you get the form right because I'm not sure how to.

Apart from deadlifts I haven't felt the need to do anything else for lower back. There are other muscles to target in the back though. I like to do barbell rows for the upper back and pull-ups for the lats.

[–] Detectorist@lemmygrad.ml 2 points 10 months ago (3 children)

Thank you for your response. I will consider deadlift part of my back routine and add your recommendations.

Is it okay to use a smith machine for deadlift or better to just modify to dumbbell?

[–] InquisitiveApathy@lemm.ee 1 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Ideally you would use a freestanding barbell, but a dumbbell modification is perfectly okay. You'll lose out on working a lot of your stabilizers and will likely have to favor your back or legs with positioning at a smith machine and it makes the overall movement of the exercise pretty awkward and ineffective.

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